Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tanaji, the Lion

Tanaji Malusare was a brave warrior and a leader in the army of Maharaja Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century.He is known for the battle he fought to recapture the fort Kondana near Pune for his King Shivaji.

Kondana fort is at the top stiff cliff and is known to impossible to be captured by using force. He planned to storm the extremely well-guarded fort in the middle of the night. Tanaji and his troops scaled the fort with the help of monitor lizards (the iguana). They fought a fierce battle to recapture the fort. He fought with another brave man Udaybhan Rathod from the opposition ranks even after he lost his shield. It is known that Tanaji fought Udaybhan by tying a cloth over one of his hands and using it to ward off Uday Bhan's sword attacks. Tanaji and his men managed to capture the fort, but Tanaji lost his life in the battle.

Maharaja Shivaji renamed the fort from Kondana to Sinhagad in his honor. His words after hearing about the demise of Tanaji were "Gad ala pan Sinha gela" He meant "Won the Fort, lost the Lion"

A wonderful look at another fascinating part of your countries history, Rajesh! I always enjoy the history and background you include! Beautiful blue skies! Hope you and your family have a lovely weekend!

You bring back fond memories of Singahad! Neat photo. Hey can I request something: when you state the place's name, can you also name the state and nearest city/landmark to it. I think it would help your readers:)

About Me

Love traveling across India and capturing what I see in images. There is so much to discover and one life is not enough. I just love the experience. This is my small attempt to share my experiences with the world.
Contact: rajeshprabh@gmail.com